Trim panel assembly



W.MARSHALL Nov. 30, 1937.

TRIM PANEL AS SEMBLY Original Filed Sept. 29, 1953 INVENTOR. 17 227147]? Wars/ 241!. BY

ATYDRNEY1 Patented Nov. 30, 1937 UNI-T ED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRIM PANEL ASSEMBLY Original application September 29, 1933, Serial No. 691,441, now Patent No. 2,026,585, dated January 7, 1936.

Divided and this application October. 28, 1935, Serial No. 47,025

'4 Claims. (Cl. 45-138) This invention relates to improvements in trim panel assemblies for vehicle bodies and particu larly for automobile bodies, an object of the invention being to improve and simplify the construction of the trim panels while at the same time enabling the panels to be readily and easily assembled on the body frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved trim assembly for vehicle bodies,

particularly automobile bodies, in which fastener elements preferably of the spring type are mounted on and carried by the panel in an improved manner whereby manufacturing economies are obtained while at the same time efficiency in production is secured.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved trim panel assembly for vehicle bodies, particularly automobile bodies, having improved means for the surface ornamentation for such panels and also having improved means for mounting fastener devices therein.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

This application is adivision of my co-pending application Serial No. 691,441, filed September 30 29, 1933, now Patent No. 2,026,585, patented January '7, 1936.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view partly broken away of a door of an automobile embodyingmy invention;

35, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the back of a trim. panel embodying my invention adapted to be fastened to the door;

Fig; 3 is a section taken through lines 33 of Fig; l in the direction of" the arrows;

40 Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3 but illustrating. certain of the parts preparatory to the assembly thereof;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation taken on the lines 5--5.of Fig. 41in the. direction of the arrows;

45 Fig. 6 is a detail section taken through lines 6-6 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a spring fastener member.

Before explaining in detail the present inven- 50 tion it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and 55 of being practiced or carried out in various ways.

. other preferred means.

Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

The present invention provides an improved trim panel assembly particularly applicable to automobile bodies wherein the fabric covered trim panel and the door or other frame portion of the body are provided with improved cooperating fastener portions so constructed that the trim panel may be readily and easily mounted on the body or door framework and detachably held in position thereon.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, the trim panel A in this instance comprises a foundation or backing sheet I!) (Fig. 2) preferably of fiber board or the like, which is covered with the trim fabric I 4 secured to the backing sheet l6 preferably by cementing or otherwise bonding the trim fabric i l on the turned portion I do shown'in Fig. 2.

In forming the trim panel the foundation or backing sheets H! are preferably cutto size. A

reinforcing edge member I! having therein. a fastener opening l5, and a spacing element l2 having therein an'under-cut fastener opening l6 registering in part with the opening iii in the member II are secured to the foundation or backing sheet II! by stitches I3 and staples IT, or any The openings or apertures IS in the member If are thus of a size to provide under-cut spaces of sufficient depth to anchor the ends of the spring fastener elements l8, and the openings l5 in the member ll being somewhat smaller than the openings It in the member I2, serve to retain the spring fastener elements It! in the underlying recesses provided by the openings l6.

On the face of the foundation or backing sheet Ill, preferably around the side thereof an ornamental riser l9 formed of rubber or other suitable material is secured by stitches 2! or other suitable means. The ornamental riser l9 may be placed on the face of the panel In in any desired form, such for example as the form shown in Fig. 1 where it forms an ornamental surface molding having an outer convex or curvilinear contour. A longitudinal groove or channel 26 is provided in the face of the ornamental riser l 8 and is of sufficient depth to permit the stitches 2! or other securing means to extend through the riser l9 and the backing sheet l0 without projecting above the top surface of the riser l9.

After the backing or foundation sheet I0 has been thus assembled the trim fabric I4 is stretched over the face of the panel and is secured along each side of the ornamental riser IS in stretched condition by parallel lines of stitching 22 or other suitable securing means, thus conforming to the bead-like contour of the risers as indicated at C in Fig. 1. The fabric M is turned over the edge of the panel as at Ma and is cemented or otherwise secured to the reenforcing edge member l I. In order to anchor the ornamental riser [9 and the stitches 22 or other suitable means used for securing the fabric M to the face of the trim panel, a strip of suitable reenforcing material 23, preferably fabric, is placed on the back of the foundation or backing sheet In and the stitches 2| pass through the riser l9 and through the backing sheet i8 and the reenforcing means 23. The stitches 22 also pass through the fabric cover M, the backing strip l0 and the reenforcing strip 23. In this manner the ornamental riser I 9 is anchored securely to the foundation or backing strip l0 and provision is thus made to prevent the pulling out of the stitches 22 used in fastening the fabric M on each side of the ornamental riser I9.

The trim panel assembly is secured to the frame of the door or other part of the body by means of the spring fastening elements [8 which, as shown in Fig. 9, are formed with a tapered spring bow portion lBa, a neck portion i822, and anchoring end portions l8c. After the trim panel has been assembled as above described, the spring fastening elements I8 are compressed and the ends I are drawn together and threaded or laced through the openings 15 and into the underlying recessed portions H5. Upon release of the pressure on the member IS the member is securely held in place in the trim panel as above described.

One use of a trim panel embodying my invention is as a finishing panel on a conventional type of door assembly which includes side pillars 24 having inturned fiange portions 24a joined by means of the usual inner metal panel 25. The overlapped portions of the pillar flanges 24a and panel 25 (see Fig. 6) are provided with a plurality of openings 25 so placed relative to the trim panel assembly as to register with the spring fastener elements 18 and thereby permit the latter to be inserted through the openings 26 and so detachably secure the panel on the door, this being shown clearly in Fig. 3 and the relation of the parts prior to assembly being shown in Fig. 4.

As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 the upper edge of the inner metal door panel 25 may be provided with a fiange 21 for supporting the usual garnish or finish molding 28 secured thereto as by screws 28a.

It will be seen that in the present preferred construction utilizing a non-metallic backing sheet, the staples I! are located closely adjacent the opposite ends of apertures l5 and of the underlying recesses of the apertures IS, the ends of the staples being embedded and clinched in the backing sheet l0. As a consequence of this construction the retaining walls of the underlying recesses will be stiffened so as to effectively resist detachment of the fasteners.

I claim:

l. A trim panel for a vehicle body comprising a relatively stiff foundation sheet adapted to be covered at the outer face thereof with a finish material, a reinforcing strip secured along the edge of said sheet at the rear face thereof, a spacer strip interposed between said reinforcing strip and foundation sheet, said strips having alined apertures, the aperture in the spacer together with adjacent portions of the reinforcing strip and said foundation sheet forming undercut recesses adapted to detachably receive parts of a fastener device.

2. A trim panel for a vehicle body comprising a relatively stiff foundation sheet adapted to be covered at the outer face thereof with a' finish material, a reinforcing strip secured along the edge of said sheet at the rear face thereof, a spacer strip interposed between said reinforcing strip and foundation sheet, said strips having alined apertures, the aperture in the spacer toether with adjacent portions of the. reinforcing strip and said foundation sheet forming undercut recesses, the bottom of said recesses being formed by said foundation sheet to provide a relatively rigid support for a detachable fastener device when held in said recesses.

3. A trim panel for a vehicle body or the like, comprising a relatively stiff non-metallic foundation sheet adapted to be covered at the outer face thereof with a finish material, a backing strip secured along the edge of said sheet at the rear face thereof, a spacer strip interposed between said backing strip andfoundation sheet, said strips having alined apertures therethrough, the aperture in the spacer strip being larger to form a recess underlying the edge of the aperture in the backing strip and the bottom of said recess being formed by said foundation sheet to provide a relatively rigid support for a fastener device when held in said recess.

4. A trim panel for a vehicle body or the like, comprising a relatively stiff non-metallic foundation sheet adapted to be covered at the outer face thereof with a finish material, a backing strip secured along the edge of said sheet at the rear face thereof, a spacer strip interposed between said backing strip and foundation sheet, said strips having alined apertures therethrough, the aperture in the spacer strip being larger to form a recess underlying the edge of the aperture in the backing strip and the bottom of said recess being formed by said foundation sheet to provide a relatively rigid support for a fastener device when held in said recess, and metallic stapling devices securing said strips and foundation sheet together adjacent opposite ends of said apertures.

WILLIAM MARSHALL.

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